"Okay, then I'll go back first."
Su Lijin yawned lazily, took off her coat and returned it to Xiao Shengxing.
The two were planning to go their separate ways.
However, Xiao Shengxing bumped into a woman head-on as he took a step forward.
Concubine Xi had been suffering from insomnia for many days and was worried that she had not seen the emperor since entering the palace, so she quietly went out for a walk.
But he heard someone talking behind the rockery. He thought that the palace maid or guard was slacking off, so he was about to go over and scold her.
Unexpectedly, as soon as he got close, he bumped into someone.
She covered her head and screamed subconsciously.
"Who are you? Come here..."
Before he could finish calling the guards, Xiao Shengxing turned his palm into a blade and slashed at Concubine Xi's neck.
The woman in front of him instantly collapsed to the ground.
Xiao Shengxing reached out to steady the man, then slowly placed him on the ground.
Su Lijin, who was standing aside, took in everything that had just happened and couldn't help but smile.
"So when the emperor is exposed, he will just knock the person out? That's pretty simple and brutal."
"Do you want her to call someone?"
Xiao Shengxing turned around and helplessly set his gaze back on Su Lijin.
Su Lijin had a teasing smile on her face, and when Xiao Shengxing was about to say something, she interrupted him.
"Your Majesty, if you don't leave now, I'm afraid you'll use the same trick again if you meet someone else later."
Xiao Shengxing did not respond. He turned around to look at Su Lijin and left.
As soon as Xiao Shengxing left, Concubine Xi woke up slowly and met Su Lijin's cold gaze.
Concubine Xi's eyes widened to the size of copper bells, and she shouted, "Are all the guards dead?"
Before he could finish his words, Su Lijin covered his mouth and said, "Don't shout."
Concubine Xi had her mouth covered and was unable to speak. She stared at her with hateful eyes.
Su Lijin's eyes were covered with a layer of frost, and she said quietly, "As the emperor's noble lady, if people found out that you were not in the house in the middle of the night and were hiding behind the rockery, you would inevitably be gossiped about..."
Concubine Xi's eyes instantly turned into horror.
"If you don't want to get into trouble, don't shout!"
Concubine Xi's face turned pale and she nodded vigorously.
Seeing that Concubine Xi agreed, Su Lijin let go of her hand.
Concubine Xi's neck was still aching slightly, and she gasped in pain, confused: "Why did I faint..."
Su Lijin glanced at her and crossed her arms: "How could Concubine Xi be so careless? She bumped into the rockery and fainted."
She stood straight, with no emotion in her eyes, and no sign of guilt.
"Really?" Concubine Xi covered the big bump on her forehead, half believing and half doubting.
How come she remembered seeing a dark shadow before she fainted?
Concubine Xi frowned slightly, feeling something was amiss: "That's not right. I just... clearly met someone behind the rockery!"
Su Lijin's brows twitched, and she asked tentatively, "Who is that person?"
Concubine Xi slapped her forehead, looking particularly annoyed: "Your Highness, your Highness can't remember what that person looks like."
"Noble Xi has just woken up, and I'm afraid she's not very clear-headed yet. There are only me and Noble Xi behind this rockery, where else could there be anyone else?" Su Lijin wandered behind the rockery and waved her hands.
Concubine Xi was fooled in this way.
"It's getting late. I'll go back and rest first. Lady Xi should also go back and rest early." Su Lijin was afraid that if she stayed any longer, she would be discovered by her, so she turned around and left.
The night at this time... is already very late.
Concubine Xi was lying on the couch. After the farce tonight, she couldn't sleep even more!
The next day
Su Lijin packed up and was about to walk out the door, but was stopped by the guard.
Her eyes turned cold in an instant: "You dare to stop me?"
The guard showed an embarrassment on his face: "Your Majesty, the emperor has ordered you to stay at home. I dare not disobey the imperial decree."
Su Lijin's eyes flashed with anger. You, Xiao Shengxing, actually put her under house arrest!
Su Lijin asked angrily, "Where is the emperor?"
"The Emperor is in the Imperial Study..."
As soon as she finished speaking, Su Lijin pushed the guard away and ran to him angrily to settle the score: "Xiao Shengxing!"
However, she did not expect that as soon as she entered the imperial study, she would be met with the empress dowager's majestic gaze.
Su Lijin lowered her head, her momentum diminished, and she timidly called out, "Empress Dowager..."
There was a coldness in the Queen Mother's eyes, and she said "hmm" lightly.
She lowered her eyes and picked up her pen to write. Just when Su Lijin thought she had escaped such a disaster, before she could breathe a sigh of relief, she heard the Queen Mother coldly say: "As the Queen, how can you call the Emperor by his name?"
There was a hint of anger in the Queen Mother's voice.
Xiao Shengxing, who was grinding ink at the side, seemed expressionless, but his hands were trembling slightly, and it was obvious that he was trying to hold back a smile.
Su Lijin clenched her fist and said, "Mother, the emperor and I were just joking."
The Queen Mother had a stern face and the atmosphere became tense. Xiao Shengxing couldn't stand it any longer and spoke up to smooth things over: "Mother, there is no need to hurt yourself over this."
He looked at Su Lijin, the smile in his eyes spreading like ripples on the water, and asked, "What is the matter that the Queen wants to see me today?"
Why did she come to him? Didn’t he have any idea?
Su Lijin opened her red lips slightly: "Your Highness..."
Having said this, she suddenly stopped and fell into a dilemma.
If she brought up the house arrest, the Queen Mother would definitely ask about it, and then she would not be able to hide the fact that she had been visiting brothels dressed as a woman.
"Hmm?" Xiao Shengxing narrowed his eyes slightly, and a smile appeared between his cold eyebrows.
Su Lijin pouted and couldn't utter a complete sentence for a long time.
Xiao Shengxing sighed slightly in disappointment.
Seeing her hesitant look, the Queen Mother frowned and slammed her hand on the table: "How can you be half as good as a queen!"
However, she was in the wrong, so Su Lijin forced a smile and said in an almost inaudible voice, "I know I was wrong."
The Queen Mother's eyes were filled with anger: "As the Empress, you are so ignorant of the rules! You speak without restraint in front of the Emperor and don't take the Emperor and me seriously!"
Su Lijin bent down, gnashing her teeth as she said, "The Queen Mother is absolutely right..."
The Queen Mother glanced at her and said, "You are so rude. I will punish you by having you kneel in the temple and reflect on your mistakes facing the wall."
Su Lijin lowered her head and was about to respond when she heard the empress dowager clear her throat and continue.
She closed her eyes in despair. No way... coming again!
"You are being punished by copying the female rules a hundred times in the temple. This is a punishment for not knowing the rules!" The Queen Mother sneered coldly.
Seeing that Xiao Shengxing was about to leave with the empress dowager, Su Lijin cast a pitiful look at him and tugged at his clothes pleadingly.
Xiao Shengxing pulled her away expressionlessly: "Jin'er, if you make a mistake, you must take responsibility."
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